DR. IMRAN FAROOQ MURDERED IN LONDON

Dr Imran Farooq, one of the founding members and a senior leader of MQM, was stabbed to death in London on Thursday, reported a private TV channel. Dr. Imran Farooq was a former convener of MQM. The MQM has declared a 10-day mourning.  Hundreds of party activists have converged on Mr Farooq's family home in central Karachi.

Quoting sources, the media outlets said that unknown veiled assailants stabbed Farooq several times in the Mill Hill area of the British capital while he was on his way to the home. He was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The police cordoned off the crime scene and started investigation. The assailant, however, managed to flee the scene, the channel added.

Meanwhile, the ceremony organised in connection with the 57th birthday of MQM Chief Altaf Hussian in Karachi was cancelled at the last moment despite the fact that thousands of workers had thronged the venue.

Police in London were called to reports of a serious assault at 1730 BST on Thursday. Mr Farooq was treated by paramedics but declared dead at the scene about an hour later.

Mr Farooq's next of kin have been informed. No arrests have been made.

A London Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "When officers arrived they found an Asian male, aged 50, suffering from multiple stab wounds and head injuries. "He was treated by paramedics at the scene but was pronounced dead at 1837."

Mr Farooq disappeared from Pakistan in 1992 and is known to have been living in exile in London since 1999, when he claimed asylum in the UK. The former Pakistani parliamentarian was one of the founding members of the MQM.

The party said it had declared a 10-day mourning period in Pakistan and in its offices across the world. Leaders said they expect to take Mr Farooq's body back to Karachi for burial after legal formalities have been completed.

Altaf Hussain will talk to people over telephone every Sunday

Mr. Altaf Hussain, Founder and Leader of the MQM will talk every Sunday from 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm (Pakistani Time) to people over telephone, in connection to abolish feudal system from the country and to established corruption free system. After the recent speech and interview of Mr. Hussain a large number of the people from all over the country are calling at MQM international secretariat in London to express their sentiments and thoughts in front of Mr. Altaf Hussain. MQM Coordination Committee has decided that those people who want to talk Mr. Hussain about his struggle, ideology, eradication of feudal system and to establish corruption free system then they can contact on Ph 00 44 208 905 7300 every Sunday from 5. To 7 pm(Pakistan standard time). MQM Coordination Committee has requested to the workers and the people of Pakistan that they should confine their conversation with in the subject and organisational and personal matter should be informed to Coordination Committee over phone and fax.

People can contact on 00 44 208 905 7300
 

Martyrdom of Raza Haider is a profound tragedy: Altaf Hussain

London: 2-August-2010. Mr. Altaf Hussain, founder and leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) expressed his most serious condemnation on the assassination of MPA Raza Haider and termed it a great tragedy for the nation. He further stated that, this assassination did not only make his heart bleed, rather every supporter and worker of the MQM is in the state of despair and grief. The deceased was one of the early and solemn members of the MQM from its days of inception, and his contributions to the MQM were indispensable. He said that his death is a huge loss to the ranks and file of the MQM. Mr. Altaf Hussain also expressed his most solemn and humble condolences to the members of the bereaved family of the deceased Raza Haider, and assured them that he and the MQM stand with them in their hour of grief. He also prayed that May! Almighty Allah rests his soul in Janat- Al- Firdous and grants the strength and patience to his friends and family to bear this loss. Mr. Altaf Hussain further added that the death of Raza Haider shall not go in vain. Mr. Altaf Hussain made an earnest appeal to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and all the concerned personnel to inquire into the death of MPA Raza Haider and apprehend his killers as soon as possible.

RAZA HAIDER LAID TO REST

MQM leader Raza Haider was laid to rest at the Martyrs Graveyard in Yaseenabad.

Earlier, the funeral prayers of Raza Haider and his gunman Muhammad Khalid were held at Jinnah Ground in Azizabad.

A large number of Muttahida Qaumi movement leaders, party workers and other citizens attended the prayers. The funeral prayers observed under stringent security and the participants were being allowed entry in Jinnah Ground after thorough search.

Unknown assailants had gunned down Raza Haider and his gunman in a mosque on Monday where he came to offer funeral prayers of a relative.

Karachi Police Chief Wasim Ahmad said 10 walk through gates were established at entry routes of Jinnah Ground whereas separate route was established for VIPs. Aerial vigilance was also carried out at the route of funeral procession and graveyard, he added.

FIFA WORLD CUP FOOTBALL 2010 SOUTH AFRICA MATCHES SCHEDULE

The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament. It is scheduled to take place between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in South Africa. The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams. As such, it matches the 2008 Summer Olympics as the sports event with the most competing nations. See Matches Schedule at www.NewsLineKarachi.com CLICK HERE

MQM READY TO QUIT COALITION: ALTAF HUSSAIN

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has reacted strongly to the statement of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani about divisions of Hyderabad district.  MQM chief said we were ready if Pakistan People’s Party wanted to break the coalition.

He was of the that PM issued this statement to woo landlords but people of Hyderabad would not accept this decision.

MQM never adopted policy of confrontation and has always strengthened PPP’s hands for the sake of democracy. PPP ministers should stop passing controversial comments and our support to democracy must not be considered our weakness, Altaf Hussain warned.

RESTORATION OF PREVIOUS STATUS OF HYDERABAD
LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain Saturday said attempts are being made to disrupt the reconciliatory atmosphere of Sindh, urging the President and Prime Minister to take note of the statements being issued by PPP leaders.

Altaf Hussain, during his address at the meeting of MQM Rabitta Committee, reacted strongly to Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s statement made in Hyderabad.

“Such an announcement made without consulting MQM is heart-breaking,” he protested, asking Hyderabad citizens not to feel alone.

He said MQM never spoke for Karachi province but PPP ministers are spreading confusion. They are against PPP-MQM coalition, he added.

KARACHI: Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani over premier's remarks about division of Hyderabad Ditrict.

Gilani assured him that no decision in this regard would be taken without taking allies into confidence.

PM Gilani today termed as flawed the decision of dividing Hyderabad district and described it as detrimental to the interests of the citizens of the city. He was addressing the workers of Pakistan People's Party from Hyderabad Division here.

Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has reacted strongly to the statement. MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari reacted by saying, "We are not being treated as partners (of the government) but as opponents."

He said MQM will not accept any decision to restore previous status of Hyderabad as a single district. "Any such decision will trigger public protest," he warned.

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has reacted strongly to the statement of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in which he termed the creation of new districts in Hyderabad as a flawed decision.

MQM leader Faisal Sabzwari reacted by saying, “We are not being treated as partners (of the government) but as opponents.”

OUTCOME OF SHAHBAZ SHARIF'S THREAT: 300 MW CUT FROM KARACHI ENERGY QUOTA

Energy Summit has decided to cut 300 MW energy from Karachi's quota from PEPCO. Raja Parvez Ashraf announced that the 650MW quota approved for Karachi is being cut to 300MW. Karachiites say that this is the consequence of the threat of Shahbaz Sharif who spoke hardly about energy crisis and threatened.

MQM LEGISLATORS SLAM CUT IN KARACHI POWER QUOTA

20 April, 2010
The Water and Power Development Authority’s (Wapda) proposed cut in Karachi’s quota, allegedly at the behest of Punjab, will further aggravate the city’s power crisis, MQM legislators said during the Sindh Assembly session on Monday.

Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed claimed that there were reports that Karachi’s power quota was being cut to provide more electricity to Punjab, which, he said, was completely unjustified. In an apparent reference to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s recent statement, he said, without naming anyone, that such “irresponsible statements” were “regrettable”. The urban and rural areas of Sindh were already suffering from unabated load-shedding and peoples’ increasing grievances should be addressed, the health minister said, adding that it was incumbent upon Wapda to provide 700 Megawatt (MW) to Karachi. After the unanimous passage of the 18th Amendment, he said, focus should now be given to power generation; the government should also provide gas for the purpose.

Khalid Ahmed from the MQM alleged that WAPDA was considering a reduction in the power quota for Karachi at the behest of Punjab. Wapda, as part of a written agreement, was supposed to provide 700MW to the city, but it was providing only 630MW, and was now considering a cut even in this reduced quota. This act, Ahmed said, is likely to compound the power situation in the metropolis where citizens were already suffering six- to eight-hour-long spells of load-shedding (Source: NewsLineKarachi)

MQM PUNJAB CONVENTION ON 25 APRIL

Altaf Hussain Appeals For Generous Donations

Mr. Altaf Hussain Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has appealed to philanthropists of Pakistan in particular and all people in general to donate generously for the forthcoming MQM Punjab Convention going to be held in Lahore.

In his statement, Mr. Hussain said that under the banner of MQM a grand party convention is going to be held in Lahore on 25th of April in which all MQM office bearers, workers and supporters would participate.

Mr. Altaf Hussain went on to say that MQM is the only political party of Pakistan which owes its allegiance and attachment to the general public and no waderas, protagonists, feudals or land lords are patronizing MQM and, thus, MQM meets all its expenses of public rally through donations of general masses.

Mr. Altaf Hussain said that MQM is striving very hard to eliminate feudalism from the soil of Pakistan and to bring about a revolution of supremacy of poor and middle classes and in order to achieve that objective the forthcoming Lahore convention will prove to be a land mark and will add to a new chapter in the political history of Pakistan.

MQM belonging to middle class and oppressed peoples organization needs donations from general public in order to hold its conventions hence, appeal is made to the people to donate as much as possible.

Mr. Altaf Hussain appealed to wealthy ones to donate their donations in MCB Bank Account Number: 1000863 with Code Number: 0073 and also appealed to all MQM workers and Haq Parast people to come forward to donate with open heart and mind in order to make the event a roaring success.

Muslim Commercial Bank Account Details for Donation
MCB Bank Account Number: 1000863 with Code Number: 0073

MUSTAFA KAMAL'S MOTHER DIES

KARACHI, April 7: The mother of former city nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal died in a hospital on Wednesday after protracted illness. Namaz-i-Janaza of Jamila Khatoon was offered at a mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. A large number of people, including provincial ministers, MQM leaders and workers and employees of the city government, attended the funeral. MQM chief Altaf Hussain, federal and provincial ministers and legislators and political and social figures have offered condolences to Mr Kamal.

Syed Mustafa Kamal the Young Global Leader

World Economic Forum has selected Syed Mustafa Kamal as the Young Global Leader. He is the first Mayor of any Pakistani city who has been honored this award.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, multistakeholder community of exceptional young leaders who share a commitment to shaping the global future. Each year the World Economic Forum identifies 200-300 extraordinary individuals, drawn from every region of the world. Together, they form a powerful international community that can dramatically impact the global future.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders has established a comprehensive selection process for identifying and selecting the most exceptional leaders 40 years of age or younger. Every year, thousands of candidates from around the world are proposed and assessed according to rigorous selection criteria.

Only the very best candidates are selected and all efforts are extended to create a truly representative body. First, the shortlisted candidates are evaluated by Heidrick & Struggles, recognized as one of the world's leading executive search firms. As a final step in the selection process, the candidates are screened by the Selection Committee.

Reflecting the diversity of stakeholders, the Young Global Leaders include leaders from politics, business, civil society, academia, and arts and culture across seven geographic regions. Together, they form a unique community that can dramatically affect the lives of future generations and craft innovative responses to address global and regional challenges.

LG Bodies Dissolved, nazims Left for Home

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced on Wednesday the dissolution of all local government institutions — from the city district governments to the union councils — and relieving of nazims by appointing administrators throughout the province.

He made this announcement at a crowded press conference at the chief minister’s house in the presence of the relevant ministers and representatives of the Pakistan People’s Party’s allied parties, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad and Awami National Party Minister Amir Nawab.

Responding to questions, the chief minister said all efforts of the government were aimed at holding elections within 120 days, most likely in May, under new local government laws which were being framed.

He said Fazlur Rehman, the secretary to the local government department, had been appointed administrator for the Karachi city government but in most cases district coordination officers and town municipal officers had been retained as administrators in their respective institutions.

He also said offices of the DCO and TMO had been merged into one designation of administrator who would run and supervise the ongoing projects.

These administrators would also be responsible for holding the coming local government elections in a fair and transparent manner. These elections would be conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan under its rules in contrast to the three other provinces, Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan, where the LG election authority had been revived to conduct elections in accordance with the pre-2001 practice.

The chief minister said: “We have decided to hold elections under the election commission due to peculiar circumstances in our province.”Besides, he said, a new local government law was being framed based on good aspects of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 1979 and the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001 which besides reflecting the aspirations of the people should be able to resolve their basic problems at their doorsteps.

In reply to a question, the chief minister termed the appointment of administrators a step forward to providing relief to the people until newly elected nazims were installed.

Answering another question, he said efforts would be made for all possible seat adjustments with the allied parties in the government for contesting elections as under the amended law elections would be held on a party basis.

Besides Senior Minister Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, LG Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, Law Minister Ayaz Soomro and Katchi Abadis Minister Rafique Engineer were present at the press conference.

Local Governments Dissolved in Sindh

الوداع مصطفے کمال، شکریہ الطاف حسین

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah dissolved all local governments in the province on Wednesday and announced that elections will be held within the next 120 days.

According to a notification issued by Sindh Government, district coordination officers have taken over charge from all district nazims. Lala Fazlur Rahman has been appointed as administrator Karachi while Aftab Khtari is to serve as administrator Hyderabad.

Addressing a press conference at the CM house, Qaim Ali Shah said that local bodies' laws will be amended and ratified by the Sindh Assembly within the next 30 days while elections will be held in 120 days.

He said that all coalition parties have been taken onboard for the appointment of administrators and the new law will also be framed through consultation with all stakeholders.

25 INCLUDING 5 MQM WORKERS, A HAQ PARAST UC NAZIM MARTYRED IN KARACHI TWIN BLASTS:
A motorcycle rigged with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Azadaraan near the Nursery bridge in Karachi Friday, killing 12 people while a second explosion inside Jinnah Hospital left at least 13 people dead. Nearly 100 people were wounded in the twin blasts, reports said. Martyred include six MQM workers who were in the hospital to donate the blood and assist in rescue operation.

“Twelve people were martyred and 50 injured in the first blast. There are children and women among the killed and wounded,” Dr. Seemin Jamali, Head of the Emergency Department at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi, said.

An hour after the first attack, a second explosion was heard outside the emergency ward of Jinnah Hospital where the injured were being shifted. The second blast was also caused by an explosives-laden motorcycle in the hospital's parking lot that left at least 13 people dead, while many others were injured, a bomb disposal official Munir Sheikh said.
The building of the hospital and three ambulances were also damaged by the blast, which took place ten metres away from the main gate.

Another bomb was found inside a television outside Jinnah Hospital, DawnNews reported. The bomb disposal squad said that 25 kg of explosives were found inside the television.

The attacks, in a city largely isolated from bombings concentrated in northwest Pakistan but with a history of sectarian tensions and political violence, underscored the security challenges facing the country.

BREAKING NEWS

MQM PUNJAB CONVENTION ON 14 FEBRUARY

MQM Punjab Convention will be held in Lahore at Minar-e-Pakistan on 14 February, 2010. Mr. Altaf Hussain, Chief of MQM will address the convention. It is expected that his address will be of historic significance which will bring immense changes in the politics of Punjab as well as Pakistan that may change the whole scenarion of the country's politics.

According to the news the announcement has been warmly welcome in Punjab and MQM is receiving telephone calls from the people of Punjab who have been waiting for long for this occasion.

Details are coming...

BREAKING NEWS

MQM PUNJAB CONVENTION ON 14 FEBRUARY

MQM Punjab Convention will be held in Lahore at Minar-e-Pakistan on 14 February, 2010. Mr. Altaf Hussain, Chief of MQM will address the convention. It is expected that his address will be of historic significance which will bring immense changes in the politics of Punjab as well as Pakistan that may change the whole scenarion of the country's politics.

According to the news the announcement has been warmly welcome in Punjab and MQM is receiving telephone calls from the people of Punjab who have been waiting for long for this occasion.

Details are coming...

Illegal Immigrants Must Leave Karachi Within 15 Days

KARACHI: With violence rising in the city of Karachi, Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday issued an ultimatum against illegal immigrants in the city, saying that they must leave Karachi within 15 days.

Malik also claimed that there are no similarities between the situation in Karachi and Swat.

Speaking outside the NAB court in Karachi, Malik said that the police force in the city was to be increased and new people were being recruited. He said that the government will have a strict no-tolerance policy for target killing incidents.

Malik also confirmed that the investigation into the Ashura tragedy was in its final stages and that an inquiry was in place into the Lyrai shootings. (Source: Daily Dawn)